Tuesday, June 24, 2008

KAL floozy

For someone who has spent the better part of her life cultivating an outsider, 'Holden Caulfield' personality, boy do I seem to be a joiner. Right now I find myself signed up for no less than seven knitalongs, and I am sure that more will be coming down the pike. Obviously one of the things we all love about this Ravelry/knitblog daisy chain world of ours is the social interaction that it affords--so many tips and tricks to share and gather, what's not to love? What is pleasant about the kal is that it presents a microsphere for this interaction, its own little special project clusterf*ck. Break out the lube, that's what I say!

Summer of Socks 2008: Jessica does such an amazing job with this, the sheer number of participants is mind boggling. I like this kal because of its sock-centric-ness. I have already gotten many ideas and pattern suggestions from fellow sock knitters and am way into the contests and such. Note that because of the SOS Kal, the Jitterbug above will all be socks by the end of the summer...

Project Spectrum 3.0: Ok, technically not a kal, but still a common project with participants from far and wide that all contribute. I have just loved the way that the colors have been organized this year, and while my sorry ass hasn't managed to complete a single project in time, I enjoy seeing everyone else's work.

Tour de France KAL: Like I said before, this kal has the potential for kismet writ large. A French teacher knitting a special project during the month of July and then cheering on her team on the Champs-Elysées at the finish? Yes, please.

Cami Chic KAL: Have I cast on for this one yet? No. But what a great concept--knitters all using the same colorway (Cami Chic) of Hazel Knits artisan sock yarn and experimenting with different patterns, stitch counts and gauges. I am so theoretically on board with this one!

Fair Along KAL: Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know the bitter disappointment I suffered last year at the hands of the local farm show judges and their punk ass third place ribbons. I have joined Larissa Brown's kal for state fairs not so much as a motivator to enter but rather as a support group for when my world comes crashing down again next September. And make no mistake, it will.

Eye of Partridge KAL: Another Ravelry group. I started my shawl in some Malabrigo lace and now am thinking about restarting it in my new Malabrigo Silky Acorn (see above), mainly because I like saying 'silky acorn'.

Olympic Trials KAL: I haven't given this one too much thought, but when my craven little heart saw this group on Ravelry I just clicked 'add me to this group'. (See? A joiner). Apparently you knit an entire project during the Summer Games in August. I can do that, and so can you!

Please let me know which KALs you are participating in. Am I missing out on any?

24 comments:

Usually any sort of public commitment dooms me to failure as I tend to rebel against even my own intentions. However, I've become a joiner too. I've jumped on board for the Summer of Socks and Seasons of Lace.

Now I need to check out the Olympic Trials and Cami Chic KALs. Of course, that would mean buying some more Hazel Knits... which is just what I've been wanting to do anyway. Perfect.

I'm doing the Feb. Lady Sweater KAL on Ravelry (though it's sort of a loose KAL) and the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl KAL; we're two clues in on that one. I usually don't join many KALs because I just can't deal with more deadlines than the ones I get at work, but I can see that it's a slippery slope.

That is a wonderful clusterf*ck of KALs. I am tempted to do Project Spectrum next year. AS you know, I am doing SOS. I'm also signed up for the Olympics. Maybe Pomatomus shoudl be my Olympic project since I crapped out on it for the first SOS sock. When it comes to Ravelry groups, I am a big joiner (member of 57 groups!)

Yikes! The only KAL that seems to fit my particular state is the UFOlympics -- select an unfinished object and finish it during the Olympics. I guess my version of too much is I start too many projects for that sweet sweet hit of pleasure at the start of something new before reality and lack-of-focus screws it up.

Hehehe- I love how you just let all of those comments/gasps/excalmations of wonder about the Michael Stipe pictures slide right on by with no follow-up comments or explanations...

I am attempting to knit some socks for SOS2008 and something for the Tour de France KAL as well (I'm thinking Loppem, for that one... but having trouble deciding...) I think those are the only knitalongs I'm doing. I am also doing a read along with the Jane Austen group (S&S) and cosidering knitting something 'sensible' while reading.

I am so not a joiner, and I totally envy all of your internet socializing via the KALs. If you happen across a "knit something black and take as long as you like" KAL then let me know. I'd join that one.

I'm a joiner, too. Although I'm in the Olympic group but I'm not sure I"m going to participate. Last time I almost made it and then crashed and burned at the last minute. It was very, very sad and frustrating. But I learned a valuable lesson - never knit an entire sweater out of sock yarn. I was too new to knitting to know any better...

I have heard that fair judges are very picky and it makes me scared to ever try to enter anything at the Great Minnesota Get Together, although it's kind of a dream of mine. I would just hate to see my knitted goods in the crowded case with all the white ribbons.

So, I'm not doing any KALs, but I am patiently awaiting the beginning of Sockapalooza 5.

Look at you, you KAL-er! I usually join a kal with such good intentions, and it all ends up crashing and burning! But, I did join in on the february lady sweater kal. Now I have to go join the summer of socks (if its not to late) and the Fair Along.

I just can't get involved with the KAl bandwagoning right now. I can't seem to to stay on task to get anything done and if I joined a KAL I would just feel antsy and likely not knit anything. I will have to live vicariously through your adventures in KALing.